The doors did not open gently. They were pushed wide with urgency, and the tension from inside the operating room spilled straight into the corridor. For a brief second, no one spoke. The air held still, heavy with anticipation, as every eye locked onto the doctor stepping out.
Sebastian closed the distance before a word could be said. His presence was sharp, unyielding, his voice cutting cleanly through the silence. "Is she alive?"
The doctor didn't answer immediately, and that single pause stretched longer than anything that had come before. His expression remained controlled, but not calm, the kind of composure that held something fragile beneath it. When he finally spoke, his voice was careful, measured in a way that made the truth land even harder.
"We lost her."
